February 2002

In a surprise move yesterday, it was announced that Farid Suleman is leaving his position as head of Infinity Broadcasting to run Citadel Communications.

Dan Leonard brought rock and rock to Syracuse radio and went on to become one of the market’s legendary jocks. Leonard, who spent 27 years on the air in central New York starting in 1954 at WNDR, died Feb. 11 from cancer in California at the age of 75.

For five years in the late 90’s, Robert Short owned WRDS FM (Power 102) before selling the station to Galaxy Communications. Short appears tonight in a documentary about the struggles of minority-owned radio stations which airs on WCNY TV 24 at 9 p.m. The half-hour program, produced by Syracuse University professor Hub Brown, profiles stations

SportsRadio 620’s Adam Schein bid farewell to Syracuse yesterday, broadcasting his final show locally on WHEN. Schein, who has hosted a weekday afternoon call-in talk show for nearly three years, is leaving to concentrate on his broadcast work with WFAN 660 AM in New York City and a new national weekend show on Fox Sports

Earlier this week, WHEN 620 AM announced they would no longer broadcast Syracuse SkyChiefs games beginning this season. The other all-sports station in town seems like a logical new home for the play-by-play action, and WNSS operations director Tom Mitchell confirms that ESPN 1260 has an offer on the table and is waiting to hear

Syracuse radio veteran Tom ‘Sawyer’ Soccocio, Jr., is on the move. Upon selling his Better Music Co., LLC, Tom recently rolled out his Voiceover and Production Services, www.voiceoverny.com. Sawyer also became an account manager at Citadel’s 93Q/Lite 105.9 earlier this month.

After a ten year run, SportsRadio 620 WHEN has decided not to broadcast Syracuse SkyChiefs games. The team’s general manager John Simone wasn’t surprised with the decision, saying, “to be on one station for that long is kind of unprecedented.”

This week’s Syracuse New Times cover story takes a look at the 2002 Syracuse Area Music Awards (Sammys) show held on Feb. 1 at the Syracuse Landmark Theater.

‘Prime Time’ Adam Schein, who hosts a local weekday call-in show on SportsRadio 620, will soon be making a weekly trek to Queens to host a new Sunday night nationally syndicated radio sports show.

Radio Disney affiliate WOLF 1490 AM may soon be transmitting a signal that is non-directional. WOLF Radio, Inc. is requesting a construction permit to make the change now that CRFC in Kingston, Ontario is no longer on the air. Read more details, including how WSIV AM may be effected, in this week’s NorthEast Radio Watch.